Follow the rules below by Dale Carnegie and you will be assertive without becoming aggressive, or being passive and surrendering your point of view.
To consistently succeed in today’s business world, and keep ourselves out of prison, we have to deal with challenging characters that create Conflict within our workplace a bit differently. Whether we an executive title or that of "worker bee", we have to engage all of our co-workers and help create compatible and outstanding results. We all know that conflict is a natural part of doing business. It can, however, be an opportunity to discover new approaches to challenges.
As business people, we must use the right approach to deal with team conflict resolution strategies that mitigate issues while maintaining positive relationships between team members.
From time to time, disagreements are not only inevitable, they are natural between people. If left unresolved, these disagreements and conflicts can waste enormous amounts of time, energy and employees' productivity. Successfully resolving workplace disputes ultimately results in greater mutual respect and a more positive coworker relationship. To Avoid Conflict at work, it is important to learn to express opinions in ways that allow for acceptance and agreeable outcomes.
- Give others the benefit of the doubt. To avoid conflict at work, think about the other person's experiences, personal influences or even how they were raised.
- Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view. After giving someone the benefit of the doubt, listen to learn and truly understand why this person holds this belief.
- Respond using "I" statements only. Beginning with "you" seems blaming and confrontational, and it immediately puts the other person on the defense. This reduces the chance of your point of view being heard.
- Use a cushion. Connect or "cushion" a different opinion, starting with "I hear what you're saying..." or "I appreciate your view on..." Remember to start with the word "I" and not "you" or it will sound confrontational.
- Eliminate the word "but" or "however". After cushioning the other person's opinion, use "and", or a short pause. Acknowledging the individual's point of view followed by a "but" or "however" erases the acknowledgment.
- State your point of view with relevant and factual evidence. Evidence defeats doubt, so provide examples or statistics to support your point of view. Provide the evidence immediately after the cushion followed by "therefore, I think..." or "This shows that..."
© Lonnie Ledford 2017 All Rights Reserved.
Source: Dale Carnegie
